Song: "Everytime We Touch" by Cascada

Several Days Later . . .

Me and my older brother were sitting in silence, a peaceful, somewhat tranquil silence, and when we reached our front doorsteps to our home, I began to unbuckle my seatbelt.

"Hey, Alina, I'm just going to drop you off at home, alright? I have to go on an errand for some time, so just clean yourself up and there's probably food in the fridge, so get something to eat while I'm gone, okay?"

"Okay."

I hopped off of my brother's van and proceeded to retrieve our suitcases and my handbag for us to unpack later.

"I'll be right back as soon as possible, okay Lina? Just stay put."

"I know, just be careful when you're on the road, there's no need to rush."

"I'll be back soon," he smiled.

My brother soon drove off into the distance and I watched as the van become nothing more than a speck in empty space.

I sighed and then I began to trudge our super-duper heavy suitcases and my white handbag up along with me and eventually, I was able to place all of them in a neat pile next to the front door.

After I wiped imaginary sweat off my face, I rummaged through that same white handbag I had slung over my shoulder in search of my keys to unlock the door to my house.

Upon rummaging, I found basically all my other necessities, but not that one house key. I spotted a pack of gum, some tissues, plenty of garbage and wrappers, lip balm, my first aid kit, and . . . my phone.

I had read that single lone text he made after I charged my phone with my brother's charger, but I just- I just couldn't bring myself to reply back.

My phone was still at a 100% since I haven't even really touched it at all for the rest of the trip. But I just don't know.

It's been five years. I was 12 back then and he was 15.

We've been friends for so long, for so long that I believed we would always remain just friends. Best friends. But friends nevertheless. Even if I have loved him as more than a friend for decades.

I just don't know.

I'm just so confused. What if he was joking after all -- like always? What if he takes back what he said? Then what? What if-

"Alina."

Automatically, I stiffened.

Okay, I must be literally going crazy. I'm hallucinating his voice, I must be. He's not actually here, yeah.

I'm doomed.

I tentatively turn around and freaking bam. He was standing there, dashing in a dark blue button-up and with wind-swept hair as dark as midnight.

I mean, he's always been hot and sexy as hell ever since I've met him, but every time, I'm still in awe at him. Every. Single. Freaking. Time.

And I fall harder. Every. Single. Time.

"Alina," he said in a voice that made my knees suddenly go weak, "how was your trip?"

"Uhm . . . fine," I murmured. "Great, actually," I added weakly.

"That's good," he let out a smile.

And then with a smirk and a menacing step forward, he included, "So good that you forgot to tell me you're back in town?"

Instinctively, I took a small, meek step backwards and due to habit, I fidgeted with my fingers a little. I looked down to the stone floor, feeling intimated. "I didn't forget."

"Oh?" He smirked devilishly and then walked right up to me, causing me to stumble and he ultimately caged me in with his two hands pressed to the brick wall, with his arms being right beside my forehead.

The way he trapped me in startled me and caused me to glance up at his face.

He twirled a strand of my dark brown hair, painfully slowly. And without any sort of warning, his gaze landed on me and almost pierced a hole into my head, "So why didn't you text me back?"

I paled, "Uh. I- I-"

When did he get so intimidating and when did he become so freakishly seductive?

"Here," he said, reaching into his back pocket and then presented me with a small, dainty black box.

"What?" My eyebrows knitted in confusion, "What is it?"

"Open it."

Okay, I was scared out of my wits. I had a pretty good guess of what might be in the small box now in the palm of my hands, but I wasn't quite 100% sure, so I can't really just assume things.

Actually, I was 99.99999999% sure.

Feeling brave and slightly sexually frustrated all of a sudden, I decided to get it over with and opened the freaking blasted box and saw that, well . . . I was right. It was jewelry.

It was a ring.

Omg. Omg. Omg. Oh my God.

It was silver and it was simple with a snowflake as the ring's center, but it was stunning nonetheless. It was beautiful.

"Alex."

"I know it's amazing, no need to thank me. We have to go now." He took his hands off from the wall and gently grasped my right hand in his.

"W-what?"

"Your birthday bash, buttercup."

"What birthday bash?"

"Oops. My bad. Guess I sort of spoiled it a little. Got to get going now."

With a gentle force, he pulled me by the hand to his car.

Then, he went on to open the door of the front passenger seat for me, grabbed the balloons enclosed there, threw them on my shocked face, manhandled me into the seat with me shrieking for dear life, told me to shut up for a second, and then buckled me in all in the span of a couple minutes.

"Have fun with the balloons. Hope you like them. They're custom-made."

He rushed around to the driver's side of the car and started the engine soon after he put on his seatbelt.

All I could really focus on during that time were the unique balloons blocking my view of everything. There were two normal, regular-size sky-blue balloons and then there were three clear snowflake-shaped balloons that were bigger than double the size of my itty bitty head. But what made them different were the glitter inside them floating around. My favorite was the one with the gold glitter that just happened to also be the biggest of all three.

As I was enjoying myself with staring at the balloons and tying all the loose strings of the balloons together in a neat knot, it brought me back to a memory of my last birthday. The one where my brother had decorated my entire bedroom with deep-blue colored balloons to surprise me.

Wait, brother. My brother is still on that errand thing.

"Alex," I choked out worriedly, "my brother, my brother is coming back."

"Oh. He's probably at the party already."

"He's . . . at the party?"

"Yes. Which reminds me we should get a move on. Don't want to be late to your own birthday party, right darling?"

"I- I guess not," I replied with hesitation.

Honestly, I'm worried.

What exactly is going on? First, Alex shows up out of the blue, appearing all sinful and stuff, then the ring, my brother supposedly being in my birthday bash right now, and then the balloons? What.

"What's going on, Alex? Did something bad happen?"

"What?" he whipped his head around to face me, "what makes you think that?"

"The party?"

"It's your freaking birthday bash, Alina, I told you already."

"But- but . . . the ring."

He exhaled a breath, sounding partially -- I don't know, annoyed? Irked? Frustrated? "What about the ring?"

"W-why?" I stumbled across my words, with my heart thumping wildly against my chest.

He glanced over at the slight traffic jam we were in. "It's a ring . . . of our five-year anniversary . . . and- and your birthday present."

"Oh."

And I will continue to love you until the end of forever.

I wanted to laugh. Of course he didn't mean it in the romantic sense. Of course not. Why am I so worried anyways?

"Hey, why are you crying?" he asked frantically as he looked back to me, concern evident in his eyes.

Instantly, I reached a hand to my face and was surprised to find tears. And then, out of pure exhaustion -- and heartbreak -- , I started to shakily laugh.

I was wrong.

That was so, so cruel of him. That was so, so stupid of me. All along, I was so stupidly, so utterly naïve. I was so stupid.

"Alina, what's wrong? Please don't cry."

By that time, I was shaking so badly and I was worried that my voice would crack if I spoke, so I stayed quiet as soft tears gradually trailed down my cheek.

"Alina, is it- did you- did you mean what you said? Did you actually mean it?"

With my eyes puffy and my nose red, I glanced over at him and he stared back at me with a blank face wiped of any emotion.

But if you looked deeper, you could see the depths of his heart.

"I- I loved you," I stuttered and then in a somewhat more calm manner, as calmly as I possibly could while drying any remains of my tears, I added, "I love you. I really, really did."

His grin was infectious and brighter than any sunlight pouring in through the glass window shield, it was dazzling. In that second, he was the most dazzling person on the planet to me.

"I'm sorry for smiling while you're obviously not, but . . . you meant it after all."

I blinked at him, "Huh?"

"Nothing," he shook his head, "and just so you know, I love you too." He gave me another one of his brilliant, shining smiles.

And in that one moment, I understood.

"So you meant it in that way too."

He directed a simple smile at me and slowly, I let a small, understanding smile appear on my face.

Smiles hold a power. They hold secrets and they hold happiness. They hold both sides of the spectrum, the darkness, but most importantly, they hold the light.

A few minutes later, we arrived at a resort-style building/place. It looked crazy luxurious and it was so pretty and elegant. In simple terms, it seemed insanely expensive to just stroll on inside.

Alex led the way to the front of the building where a huge entrance greeted us. I was about to open the giant glossed-gold-bordered door but before I could, a warm hand covered my eyes, blocking me from seeing anything and I freaked out for a split second before realizing it was only Alex and not some abductor who wanted to kidnap some random girl on the street.

"Relax. I want it to still technically be a surprise for you."

"O- okay. Just don't let me trip over myself?"

"Don't worry," he chuckled, "you'll be too busy tripping over me anyways."

I smiled, "And the same could be said for you."

I could almost feel him smiling at that, "Ouch. You got me there, buttercup."

He opened the door with his palm over my eyes and leisurely, he proceeded to guide me through what I guess was the hallway.

At one point, he stopped and I almost crashed into him. He caught me by the waist at the very last moment and for several seconds, I could only hear our breaths intermingling in complete silence.

"We're here," he whispered into my neck, his deep voice somewhat an echo in the hallway that broke the silence I have come to recognize.

After a brief second, he let me go and I vaguely heard a swish to the door of what must be the room he was searching for.

"Happy 17th Birthday, Alina."

My hands automatically encased over his own and knowingly, together we uncovered my eyes.

I saw colors.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALINA!!!"

"EVEN IF IT IS A BIT LATE!" A voice shouted over the large crowd. I recognized him as the guy from my physics class who always sat to the side of me. Everyone bursted out laughing and I laughed merrily along with them.

Everywhere the eye could scan, my eyes landed on familiar faces and a birthday bash like no other.

And I cried once more, for it was a new beginning. I cried for the new year.

I was four when I heard about my parents' deaths. So ever since I could remember, it has always been just me and my brother. Just us. Only us. But my brother was too worried and fearful about how he would support us economically, while also hiding us from the orphanage so we would always remain what we always have been -- together. We were the only family we have ever known.

But he was busy. And often, I find myself lonely, because I was so alone all the time. Even in school, I would always be alone, I had been the quiet one and no one bothered to talk to me, which I could fully understand.

But then Alex came.

And everything fell into place; he was the missing piece in the puzzle in our lives, especially mine. He showed me what it was like to live. To dream. To create friendships and to create memories. And most of all, he taught me that with midnight, wishes will be granted, if you only believe with all your heart. He changed me. He changed us.

He changed what we would have been.

So now I have to do my part too, to change myself, starting from where it all began, a New Year's Eve. With all and everyone that I love.

The End

A/N: Sorry it's late! I had to rewrite this part because it was somehow deleted and I don't think it's as good as the first time I wrote this chapter, but I hope it's to your satisfaction!

And Happy [Late] New Year, everyone! Hope you guys all have a fantastic year! <3

AND HERE'S SOMETHING FROM ALEX --->
;)   ;)    ;)    *serving one million winking faces coming right up*

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